Incineration system



Aug. 11, 1953 s. ROBINSON 2,643,343

INCINERATION SYSTEM Filed April 16, 1947 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 FFZZE- 1.

grwem to'tl Sidnqy Robinson Aug. 11, 1953 s. ROBINSON INCINERATION SYSTEM 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 16, 1947 Aug. 11, 1953 s. ROBINSON INCINERATION SYSTEM 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed April 16, 1947 3 Wu Qm/bo n dieing) Rabi/2s 022 Patented Aug. 11, 1953 INCINERATION SYSTEM Sidney Robinson, Weston, Mass., assignor to the United States of America as-represented bythe United States Atomic Energy Commission Application April 16, 1947, Serial No. 741,929

1 Glaim. 1

My invention relates to incineration systems and more particularly to flue arrangements for incineration systems.

In the recovery of uranium and. other valuable elements from residue, it has been the practice to charge an ash bottle with residue from a rotary kiln and place the charged bottle with the residue, containing the uranium or other element to be recovered, in a floor type electric furnace. Heat is ordinarily applied to the charge bottle until a high temperature of about 1400 F. is reached when combustion of the residue, asdistinguished from the uranium, takes place.- To aid or increase combustion of the charge in the bottle, oxygen is admitted to the charge bottle during the process. When the combustion takes place, carbon dioxide and particles of uranium or other element to be recovered are entrained in and are exhausted with the carbon dioxide to a water wash tower where the uranium or other element is separated and reclaimed from the carbon dioxide.

Due to the extreme heat applied to the ash bottle and accompanying piping, and the high temperature at which the process is to be carried out, tight seals must be provided at the joints and quick acting ground seat union joints must be utilized.

Applicant with a knowledge of these problems has for an object of his invention the provision of a flue system for incinerators which may be quickly assembled and broken down and removed.

Applicant has as another object of his invention the provision of a quick acting union or coupling which will provide an eifective seal at high temperatures.

Applicant has as a further object of his invention the provision of a detachable and removable flue system for an incinerator having a series of high heat resisting couplings which may be quickly and easily detached, and which provide an effective seal against the escape of gases at high temperature.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will appear from the following specification and accompanying drawings, and the novel features thereof will be particularly pointed out in the annexed claim.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a plan view of my improved flue system for incinerators. Fig. 2 is a fragmental side elevation partly in section of a portion of my improved flue system showing one of the improved detachable couplings in section. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the same flue system showing both removable couplings. Fig. 4 is a 2 cross sectional detail of the male and female coupling members of my improved union joint mounted on and connecting the opposed ends of tubing.

Referring to the drawings in detail, I designates a flange of a coupling member carried by the neck or upper restricted portion 2 of an ash bottle (not shown) Spaced about the periphery of flange l anclhingedly carried by it at 3 are a series of pins 2 having slotted shanks adapted to receive wedge shaped keys 5. Projecting downwardly through flange i into neck 2 is a tube 6 for carrying oxygen to the charge bottle. The lower end of tube 5 is closed and communication between the tube 6 and the charge bottle is accomplished by providing a series of openings in the walls of the tube 6.

The charge bottle is joined through its flange l to a flange member 8 to complete a coupling for joining the bottle to a tubeand a duct. Flange member 8 carries tube 8 and flue duct 9, tube 8 passing 'therethrough and being joined by welding to either face of the flange member 8, while duct 9 preferably passes therethrough and is joined thereto by welding or otherwise. Mounted on theflange member 3 and acting as a protective obstruction on'either side thereof is a U-shaped member it. The legs of the U-shaped member ll! straddle the tube '5 and duct 9 and are-joined to the flange member in abutting relation by welding or otherwise. While the member it serves as a guard and reinforcing structure, it also provides a means for lifting the ash bottle and associated piping.

The under face of the member 8 and the upper face of the flange I on the ash bottle are adapted to abut, and in order to insure a close, accurate fit, the raised tapered central portion of the member 8 seats in a complementary tapered recess in flange l. A bafile I I, carried by the inner face of flange member 8, adjacent the mouth of duct 9, projects diagonally down into the neck of the bottle, obstructing direct communication between the duct 9 and the body of the bottle. The flange member 8 is formed with a series of radial cutaway portions 42 extending to the periphery and of a size sufiiciently large to receive the shanks of the pins 4, as they are swung upwardly into registration with the cut out portions 43 in the flange l. The members I and 8 are maintained in assembled relation by passing the wedge-shaped keys 5 through the slots in the pins 4 when they are in proper position.

After leaving member 8 the tube 6 and duct 9 extend upwardly and away from the ash bottle and are connected to the main duct 9' and tube 6 by means of a quick acting union joint. The union joint comprises a block I2 shown in detail in Fig. 4. On one face it is provided with sockets I3, I4 for reception of pipes 9, 6. Projecting from the opposite face are nipples I5, I6 for seating in recesses or counter bores I'I, I8 in frame I9, which receives pipes '6', 9 in sockets 2I and 20, respectively, and is also shown in sectional detail in Fig. 4. Projecting forwardly from a face of the frame I9 are lugs 22 which pivotally mount a bar 23 through its curved lower end at 24. The bar extends upwardly between the sockets I3, I4 and is engaged by a cam face 25 of a lever 26. The lever 26 is pivotally mounted at 21 on a pair of arms 28 which are themselves pivoted at 30 on an extension 29 which carries abutment 3| that limits the downward movement of the arms 28.

In operation the ash bottle may be moved into position by a sling hoist arrangement mounted over the furnace, and the piping may be attached thereto by bringing the flange I on the ash bottle into alignment with the flange member 8 so that the shoulder on the inner face of the flange member 8 seats in the recess of the flange I, carried by the neck 2 of the ash bottle. When this alignment is completed, pins 4 are swung about their cross members 3 on flange I until the shanks of the pins are disposed into the registering cutaway portions 42, 43 in the flange elements I and 8. Thereafter the wedge-shaped keys are driven into slots in pins 4 until the members I and 8 are locked securely together in sealed relation.

When this operation is completed, block I2 is aligned with frame I9 by seating nipples I5, IS in sockets N, Is. Bar 23 is raised about its pivot 24 until it passes up between pipes 6, 9 and the block I2 and frame I9 are secured together. Lever 26 is lowered by downward movement of pivoted arms 28 until they straddle the ends of bar 23 and rest against the abutment 3 I. Thereafter the arm of lever 26 is swung downwardly, pivoting the cam face 25 thereof against the free end of the bar 23, forcing it towards frame I9, and clamping the parts of the union joint together in tight, sealed relation.

When the recovery process has been completed by the passage of oxygen to the bottle, combustion of the contents of the bottle, and the recovery of the uranium or other element from the carbon dioxide passing out through duct 9, the lever 26 on the union joint is raised releasing the force on the upper end of bar 23. The lever 26 and arms 28, 28 are raised about pivot 30 until the bar is free of the lever. This permits bar 23 to disengage itself from block I2 and piping 6, 9 by swinging downwardly about pivot 24. This in turn permits the union joint to open by separation of block I2 from frame I9. A sling hoist (not shown) may then be engaged with the support I0, and the hot ash bottle and piping may be raised and removed from the furnace. The ash bottle and piping may then be replaced by lowering another arrangement in position and repeating the cycle of operations described above.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

A flue arrangement of the character described comprising a supply line and a flue line for connection to an ash bottle through a coupling at one end, a union at the other end for connecting them to a supply source and a flue, said union having a block portion and a frame portion, said block portion being provided with socket portions for the reception of the supply line and flue line, extensions on the block portion for seating in recessed portions of the frame portion, and a lever carried by the frame portion and engageable with the block between the socket portions for urging the frame and block into tight assembled relation.

SIDNEY ROBINSON.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 742,406 Eliel Oct. 27, 1903 1,330,003 Radisson Feb. 3, 1920 1,641,839 Cain Sept. 6, 1927 2,008,418 Groggins July 16, 1935 2,235,644 Richardson Mar. 18, 1941 2,350,320 Amos: June 6, 1944 2,391,156 Hansgi'rg Dec. 18, 1945 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 4,875 Great Britain of 1 895, 

